Illumination control system



Oct. 13, 1931. A. SIMON ILLUMINATION CONTROL SYSTEM Original Filed Dec.

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Patented Oct. 13, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ARTHUR SIMON, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO I CUTLER-HAMMER, INC., A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE ILLUMINATION CONTROL SYSTEM Application filed December 81, 1928, Serial 110. 683,645. Renewed July 14, 1980.

This invention relates to illumination control systems and is particularly applicable to control of illumination effects in theatres and the like.

In my copending application Serial No.

432,074, filed December 20, 1920 are disclosed mination control systems.

Another object is that of providing an improved and simplified system of the character stated enabling more complete, flexible and facile control than that heretofore afforded. I

Another object is that of providing such a system wherein the physical elements are concentrated and space requirements minimized.

Another object is that of providing such a system enabling preselection of desired lighting eilects including intensities, during enactment of a given regulable efiect and intensity and providing for rendering such preselection eifective through actuation of a single switch.

Another object is that of providing such a system wherein control of t e illuminating efiect, including intensity of a plurality of independently controllable lamp circuits may be extended or relayed to common master control mechanism.

Another object is that of providing a sys- I Another object is that of providing such a system enabling full control of the several lamp circuits, including illumination intensity variation, without necessitating mterruption or other direct commutation of such circuits, while also providing for commutation of such circuits if desired but under conditions of minimized currents therein.

' grammatically a simplified form of the invention and the same will now be described, it being understood that the invention is also capable of embodiment in numerous modified and amplified forms falling within the scope of the appended claims.

As illustrated, the lighting system to be controlled comprises a plurality of independently controllable lamp circuits 5 to 8 which may be supplied from a common alternating current source L L as illustrated or optionally from different sources having similar characteristics. Also for convenience and clarity of description said circuits have been designated respectively as white foot, white border, red border and red foot lamp circuits of a theatre or other stage.

Conventional magnetic amplifiers each having A. C. coils 9 and 10 and a controlling or pilot coil ll are arranged in the respective lamp circuits in such relation that through suitable, control of the relatively weak currents employed for energization of the respective coils 11 the currents flowing in the associated lamp circuits may be smoothly regulated to provide practically any desired value between zero and maximum of such currents, and hence of the-illumination of the lamps in the respective circuits.

Optionally, the several lamp circuits 'may be provided with continuity control means which may include individual relays 12 having closing coils to be connected across lines L L sub ect to control by individual switches 13. Pilot lamps 14 may also be provided adjacent the respective switches 13.

to afford visible indication as to closure thereofand hence as to continuity of the associated lamp circuit, whereas such pilot lamps may be preferably of colors to correspond withthe lamps of their respectively .associated' circuits.

Also if desired such continuity control means for the individual lamp circuits may include, as illustrated in connection with the white foot lamps, an auxiliary relay 12 in the coil circuit of relay 12 and having its closing coil connected in series with coil 11.

Again if desired the closing coil of relay 12 may be connected in circuit, preferably in parallel, with coil 11, switch 13 and pilot lamp 14 being omitted, as illustrated in connection with the red border lamps.

The coils 11 of the several amplifiers may conveniently be arranged to be supplied from a common relatively low voltage source L L preferably of direct current, as illustrated, one end of each of said coils being in practice preferably connected directly to one of said supply lines, the connections of the opposite ends of the respective coils to the other of said supply lines and the current values of the several coil circuits being controllable by, the means now to-be described.

The respective control circuits of the several amplifiers are furnished individually with switches and with rheostats or equivalent resistance varying devices whereby control both of continuity and value of energization of any coil circuit may be 'eflected individually or the same may be relayed or extended to suitable group or color master and grand master control devices for joint control of certain or all of said coil circuits.

-to practically full Further, certain of said control devices are provided in duplicate, suitable selecting means being provided, whereby preselection of a desired electrical condition of any or all of said coil circuits, and of the illumination intensity of the lamps controlled there- 'by, may be made while said circuits remain subjected individually to other electrical conditions and the change from the imposed to the preselected conditions may be efi'ected jointly and simultaneously of all or less than all of said circuits.

Further, the arrangement is such that, even after the switches of any circuit have been so arranged as to provide for control of. said circuit jointly with another circuit or other circuits, each of such jointly controllable circuits is maintained amenable individual control. Again the aforedescribed relaying or extension of the control is such as to provide for so-called proportional intensity control by means of the master intensity control rheostats or the like, whereby, irrespective of the relative intensities of energization of the individual circuits as influenced by the setiing of their individual rheostats, the individual energization of each circuit may be brought to a new value through actuation of the appropriate master rheostat, the

.change being in each instance contirfuous throughout the actuation of the master rheostat and in increments each substantially mamas Each of said plural control circuits in-v cludes a rheostat 25a or 256 and an individually operable selector switch 26a or26b respectively. Each selector switch 26a or 26?) is preferably of the three circuit type whereby each may serve in its upper position to com plete the coil circuit through its associated rheostat 25a or 25?) directly across lines L L,

in its intermediate position to extend the control to a suitable color master rheostat 27a or 27?), respectively, and in its lowermost position to extend the control to an appropriate grand master rheostat 28a or 28b, respectively, it being observed that duplicate color master and grand master rheostats are provided. A single grand master switch 29 preferably of the two button selector type.

provides for selective energization of solenoids 21 and 22.

The several switches 20 and 26a being positioned as illustrated, obviously intensity control of the several circuits is determined by the position of the individual rheostats 25a and grand master rheostat 28a, the corresponding rheostats designated as 2512 and 28b and also the color master rheostats 27a and 276 being deenergized and hence bein available for presetting or preselecting eitlier the same or a different value of energization to be impressed upon the individual circuits upon movement of the grand master switch 29 to down position.

Also with the illustrated positioning of the switches 20 and 26a it is apparent that intensity .control of the several circuits is provided individually by rheostats 25a and jointly by grand master rheostat 280., such master control being proportional in character as aforedescribed.

Next assuming down positioning of grand master switch 29 and consequent down positioning of selector switches 20 it is apparent provided by rheostats 25b and color master control is provided by rheostats 27?), the latter being proportional in character.

As aforestated, up positioning of any of selector switches 26a or 26?) serves upon and during completion of circuit through such switch to render intensity control of such circuit controllable solely by its associated individual control rheostat 25a or 25?), respectively.

The foregoing are merely exemplary of certain control features and effects provided by the arrangement described which enables proportional control as aforecharacterized together with full preselection features, each circuit being at all times amenable to individual control without interference in the joint control of any or all other circuits, the individual and joint control instrumentalities being at all times fully available respectively either to limit, modify or control the influence of the other upon any individual circuit.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. The method of controlling the intensity of illumination of the sets of lamps of a plurality of circuits to be subjected jointly to a common proportional regulative influence, which comprises individually controlling at will the proportional regulative effect of such influence upon each of the several circuits.

2. The method of controlling the intensity of illumination of the sets of lamps of a plurality of circuits to be subjected jointly to a cpmmon proportional regulative influence, which comprises imposing individual limits to the proportional regulative effect upon the several circuits of said common regulative influence.

3. The method of controlling the intensity of illumination of the lamps of a plurality of circuits, which comprises subjecting said circuits to control by individual rheostats, and imposing upon said control a common resistance varying influence to proportionally limit at will the effect of the individual control upon the several circuits.

4. The method of controlling sets, exceedmg two in number, of electrlc lamps-{to vary the illumination intensity thereof, which.

comprises simultaneously subjecting the sets of lampsto a common regulative influence for a given intensity of illumination under conditions of individual control, and then relieving the lamps of such influence and subjecting the individual sets of lamps to indeadjustable and preadjusted regupendently lative influences for-jointlyand/or individually elfecting a different intensity or intensities of illumination.

5. The method of controlling a plurality of sets, exceeding two in number, of lamps to vary the illu ination intensity thereof, which comprises subjecting such sets of lamps individually to regulative influences variable independently of each other, or alternatively simultaneously subjecting all or certain of such sets of lamps to a common proportional regulative influence while maintaining same subject to said individual regulative infiuences.

6. The method of controlling a plurality of sets, exceeding two in" number, of lamps to vary the illumination intensity thereof.

which comprises controlling all or certain of such sets of lamps either individually and independently of each other or jointly, and subjecting said sets of lamps when so controlled to alternative regulative influences including a common proportional regulative influence.

8. The method of controlling a plurality of sets, exceeding two in number, of electric lamps to vary the illumination intensity thereof, which comprises subjecting said sets of lamps individually to alternately preadjustable regulative influences and controlling all or certain of such sets of lamps either individually and independently of each other or jointly for varying the value of the re ulative influences to which the same are su jected, said regulative influences including a common proportional regulative influence.

9. The method of controlling a plurality of sets, exceeding two in number, of lamps to vary the illumination intensity thereof, which comprises subjecting such sets of lamps individually to alternative and preadjustable regulative influences, controlling all or certain of such sets of lamps individually and independently of each other or jointly for changing the regulative influences to which the same are subjected or subjecting all or certain of such sets of lamps to a connnon proportional and variable influence.

10. The method of controlling a plurality of sets of lamps to Wary the illumination intensity thereof, which comprises controlling such sets of lamps individually or jointly while maintaining a predetermined proportional relation of illumination intensity .of said sets of lamps with respect to each other under conditions of joint control.

11. The method of controlling the illumination intensity of a plurality of sets of lamps, which comprises amplified control thereof individually or jointly while mainf to vary the illumination intensity thereof, 1

12. The method of controlling a plurality of sets of lamps to vary the illumination intensity thereof, which comprises control-' ling such sets of lamps individually or jointly while maintaining a predetermined relation of illumination intensity of said sets of lamps with respect to each other under conditions of joint control and thereafter transferring the control of said sets of lamps for instantaneous provision of another preselected relation of illumination intensity thereof.

13. An illumination control. system comprising, incombination, a lam circuit and control means therefor including duplicate individual control means and duplicate master control means enabling preselection of a desired illumination intensity effect during production of a different regulable effect, said control means including a single-pole switch for causing enactment of the effect so preselected.

14. An illumination control system comprising, in-combination, a plurality, exceedlng two in number, of lamp circuits, and

preselective and pie-adjustable control means therefor including means enabling preselective individual and/or joint and proportional control of the illumination effect, including intensity, to be produced by all or certain f said circuits while maintaining each subject to preselective individual control.

15. In an illumination control system, the combination with a plurality of lamp circuits.- of a plurality of independentlv operable rheostats for selectively controlling the intensity of illumination of said circuits individually, and additional control means comprising duplicate master rheostats to act selectively in conjunction with said former rheostats for effecting proportional illumination intensity control of all or certain of said circuits jointly.

16. In an illumination control system, the combination with a plurality of lamp circuits,

of magnetic amplifiers associated with said circuits respectively, each comprising a winding to be subjected to regulable energizing in uence for effecting control of the brilliancy of the lamps of said circuit and duplicate control means for preselecting and controlling energization of said windings either jointly or individually at will while maintaining a predetermined relation of the brilliancy of lamps in the respective circuits under conditions of joint control.

17. In an illumination control system, the combination with a plurality of lamp circuits, of magnetic amplifiers associated with said circuits respectively, each of said amplifiers having a winding to be subjected to regulable energizing influence for control of the brilliancy of the lamps of said circuits, and control means for said windings comprising a plurality of independently regulable rheoeer/nae stats for the circuit of each winding, means for controlling the circuits of said windings individually to include said rheostats selectively, a common control device, and means associated with said individual control means for extending the control of said windings to said common control device while maintaining said individual control thereof.

18. In an illumination control system, the combination with a plurality of lamp circuits, of magnetic amplifiers associated with said circuits respectively, each of said amplifiers having a winding to be energized regulably for effecting control of the illumination and brilliancy of the lamps of its respective circuit, and means for controlling the energization of said windings comprising independently regulable rheostats to be connected in circuit with each winding, individual means for completing and controlling each of said circuits to include its associated rheostats selectively, common circuit continuity and current control means, and means associated with said individual control means enabling operation of the latter to extend the control of all or certain of said windings to said common control means while maintaining said windings subject to said in dividual control.

19. An illumination control system comprising, in combination, a plurality of lamp circuits, a plurality of alternative individual illumination intensity control means for each circuit, and means for controlling jointly the illumination intensities of said circuits while maintaining a preselected proportional relation of the illumination intensities of said circuits with respect to each other.

20. An illumination control system comprising, in combination, a pluralit of lamp circuits,-a plurality of alternative Individual illumination intensity control means for each circuit, a plurality of alternative joint control means for saidcircuits, and means for transferring said individual control to a preselected joint control instrumentality for simultaneously varying the illumination intensities of said circuits while maintaining the proportional relation of the illumination intensities thereof substantially unchanged.

21. An illumination control system comprising, in combination, a plurality of lamp circuits, individual illumination intensity control means for each circuit, means for jointly controlling the illumination intensities of said circuits while maintaining a preselected proportional relation of the illumination intensities of said circuits with respect to each other, and means enabling preselect on of illumination intensities dilferent from those obtaining and also enabling substitution of the preselected intensities for the obtaining intensities.

22. An illumination control system comprising, in combination, a plurality of lamp energizing influence for control of circuits, and control means therefor including means enabling joint and individual preselection of a desired illumination intensity effect for the several circuits during production of a different jointly and individually regulable effect. said control means including a single-pole switch providing for enacting the effect so preselected for the several circuits.

23. In an illumination control system. the combination with a plurality of lamp circuits. of magnetic amplifiers associated with said circuits respectively. each of said amplifiers having a winding o be subjected to regulable energizing influence for control of the brilliancy of the lamps of its respective circuit, control means for said windings comprising an independently regulable rheostat for the circuit of each winding. and a master rheostat to be connected in series with said first-menioned rheostats to provide for common proportional energization control of all or certain of said windings.

,24. In an illumination control system, the combination with a plurality of lamp circuits, of magnetic amplifiers associated with said circuits respectively. each of said amplifiers having a winding to' be subjected to regulable the brilliancy of the lamps of its respective circuit, control means for said windings comprising an independently regulable rheostat for the circuit of each winding. and duplicate rheostats of the character aforementioned to pro,- vide for preselection of the energizing influence or influences'to be imposed upon all or certain of said windings independently of said first-mentioned rheostats.

25. In an illumination control system, combination with a plurality of lamp circuits, of magnetic amplifiers associated with said circuits respectively, each of said amplifiers having a winding to be subjected to regulable energizing influence for control of the brilliancy of the lamps of its respective circuit. control means for said windings comprising an independently regulable rheostat for the circuit of each winding, a master rheostat to be connected in series with said rheostats to provide for common proportional energization COl'ztI'Ol of all or certain of said windings, duplicate rheostats of the character aforementioned tion of the energizing influence or influences to be imposed upon all or certain of said windings independently of said first-mentioned rheostats. and means for jointly control from said independently regulable and master rheostats to said duplicate rheostats.

26. An illumination control system comprising, in combination, a plurality, exceeding two in number, of lamp circuits, preselectivc control means therefor including means enabling preselective individual and/or joint the first-mentioned the.

to provide for preselectransferring tion of said first-mentioned illumination effect.

27. In an illumination control system, the combination with a plurality of lamp circuits. means comprising a plurality of independently regulable devices for control of the brilliancy of the lamps of the respective circuits, means for preselecting the illumination efl'ect, including intensity, to be produced by the respective lamp circuits for a given scene, additional means enabling preselection of a difierent illumination effect to be produced by the respective lamp circuits for another scene, and control means operable at will for progressively causing enactment of j and second-mentioned illumination efl'ects.

28. In an illumination control system, the combination with a plurality of lamp circuits, means com rising a plurality of independently regula le devices for control of the brilliancy of the lamps of the respective circuits, means for preselecting the illumination effect, including intensity, to be produced by thecrespective lamp circuits for a given scene, additional means enabling preselection of a different illumination efiect, including intensity, to be produced by the respective lamp circuits for another scene, and control means operable at will for progressively causing enactment of the first-mentioned and secondmentioned illumination effects.

29. An illumination control system comprising, in combination, a plurality, exceeding two in number, of lamp circuits, and preselective and pre-adjustable control means therefor including switching means enabling preselective individual and/or joint control of the illumination eflect,-including intensity, to be produced by all or certain of said circuits while maintaining each subject to individual circuit continuity and illumination intensity control.

30. An illumination control system comprising, in combination, a plural1ty,-exceeding two in number, of lamp circuits, preselective and pro-adjustable control means therefor including switching means enabling presele'ctive individual and/or joint control of the illumination eflect, including intensity, to be produced by all or certain of said circuits while maintaining each subject to individual circuit continuity and illumination intensity control, additional means enabling preselective individual and/or joint control lltl from said first-mentioned control means to said additional control means.

i 31. A theater lighting control system comprising a plurality of load circuits, a feed circuit, a plurality of independently operable switches for selectively controlling continuit of the respective loadcircuits, a plurality oi independently adjustable illumination intensity control elements individual to the respective load circuits, means for simultaneously rendering all or certain of said illumination intensity control elements efi'ective according to the illumination efi'ect preselected,

, additional presetting control means enabling preselection of a difierent illumination eflect during enactment of the illumination eiifect first-mentioned, and means operable to eliminate the first-mentioned illuminating efiect and at will to substantially simultaneously enact the illumination eiiect second-mentioned.

32. lln an illumination control system, the combination with a plurality, exceeding two in number of lamp circuits, of a plurality of devices associated with the respective circuits for individually regulating the intensities of illumination thereof, and control means for said devices including means enabling pre-l selection of illumination intensities for the respective lamp circuits difiering from those obtaining and also enabling subsequent simultaneous substitution of the preselected intensities for the obtaining intensities.

- 33. lln an illumination control system, the combination with a plurality of lamp circuits, of magnetic amplifiers associated with said circuits respectively, each of said amplifiers having a winding to be subjected to regulable energizing influence for control of the brilliancy of the lamps of said circuit, and control means for said windings comprising a plurality of independently regulable devices for the circuit of each winding, means for controlling the circuits of said wlndings individually to include said devicesselectively, a coon control device, and means associated with said individual control means for extending the control of said windings to said common control device while maintainin said individual control thereof.

ln witness whereof, l have hereunto'suh: scribed my name.

, ARTHUR SIMQN.

mamas 

